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Clerk issues more than 250 marriage licenses to same-sex couples

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Cook County gay marriageDavid Wilk and Charlie Gurion (front) pose for a picture with their family and friends before being married at the First Municipal District Marriage and Civil Union Court, following a federal court order that couples should not have to wait until the Illinois law goes into effect on June 1. (E. Jason Wambsgans, Chicago Tribune /February 22, 2014)

Annie Avery (left) and Alison Gross are married at the First Municipal District Marriage and Civil Union Court, following a federal court order that couples should not have to wait until the Illinois law goes into effect on June 1. (E. Jason Wambsgans, Chicago Tribune)

Staff report

1:28 p.m. EST, March 4, 2014

Following a federal court ruling, the Cook County clerk's office has issued more than 250 marriage licenses to same-sex couples wishing to wed under the Illinois' Marriage Equality law, officials said this morning.

According to a news release from the clerk's office, a total of 258 couples -- 137 male and 121 female couples -- were issued marriage licenses in the clerk's offices in Chicago and five suburbs between Feb. 21 and Feb. 28. Most of those couples applied at the clerk's downtown office, the release said.

In that same time span, the office issued 653 licenses to male-female couples, the clerk's office said.

About a dozen out-of-state couples also applied for licenses in Cook County. Five of those couples were from Indiana, two from Colorado and one each from Wisconsin, Michigan, Kentucky, Texas and South Carolina, the release said.

More than half of the couples who applied are Chicago residents from theese city neighborhoods: Lakeview and Lakeview East, Andersonville, Uptown, Edgewater, Lincoln Square, Albany Park and Rogers Park, said the release.

A total of 83 licenses were issued to couples from 55 suburbs including Evanston, Oak Park, Berwyn, Des Plaines, Wheaton, Aurora, Glenview, Streamwood and Oak Lawn, according to the release.

Overall, the list includes 21 teachers, 10 attorneys, six accountants, six doctors, six police officers, three electricians, one steelworker, one forklift operator and 33 retirees, said the release.

"The first day we were able to issues marriage licenses to any same-sex couple in Illinois was extraordinary and historic," said Cook County Clerk David Orr in the release. "Before long, it will be a regular occurrence in every county in Illinois. That is equality."